We All Have Our Problems
by Nathaneal Jacobs
Summary: My first oneshot. Please review! Oh and I added a little extra scene, just so you know. Oh, it's Geoff's point of view. I thought it would be interesting to see things from the point of view of a man who is nude through a good section of the movie.


Disclaimer: I don't own A Knight's Tale or any of the characters.

Rating: Most of the crap I do is PG-13, so why not?

Author's note: My first one-shot. Please review! Oh and I added a little extra scene, just so you know.

Geoff was finding it quite redundant how he constantly, somehow, ends up nude. 'God help me,' he begged silently. Not more that an hour ago, he had been given the luxury of being dressed and quite comfortable. Damn his need to raise the damn stakes of a damn game. He rather regretted telling the debt collectors that Sir Ulrich was his "master." Speak of the devil, here he comes. That look in his eyes was so scary—however degrading it might be to tell you that.

"You were never robbed, were you?" such a simple statement, yet it still hurt to hear that Geoff was found out.

Geoff searched for a liable excuse, then just decided it was better to stick to the truth, for once. "Look," he began, "I have a gambling problem. I can't help myself. And these people…they'll quite literally take the clothes off your back." He hoped he wouldn't regret trying to lighten the mood. He was just trying not to imagine what the hell a 'fonging' was.

The look on Will's face did nothing for Geoff's nerves. And with his next statement, his was quite terrified. "What do you expect us to do about it?" he said. Such a stab in the chest that turned out to be by itself.

"He assured us," one of the debt-collectors interrupted, "you, his liege, would pay us." Damn you filthy bastards! Geoff had hoped to explain himself less frankly.

"And who are you?" Will asked.

"Peter," he replied, "a humble pardoner—" 'Pardoner my foot,' Geoff thought "—and purveyor of religious relics." Geoff found another way to take away his fear. He just imagined Peter with a jousting lance sharpened and though his chest.

But wait, a ray of hope in the form of words. "How much does he owe you?" Will inquired. Oh, what a blessing you are Will.

"Ten gold florins," said one of the debt-collectors. Geoff didn't care to look.

'I thought it was only five,' Geoff thought. But he knew better than to argue with a man that has a cane _and_ his clothes. He stayed silent, but his hope was slipping with Will's expression of annoyance.

This news also fired up the redhead, Wat. "You lanky git!" he exclaimed and attempted to beat the hell out of Geoff. Good thing it was still in Geoff's power to defend himself.

"Hey, hey, hey," thank the stars for you, Will, "Wat, let him go." Will apparently ignored and 'ow' from Geoff. He had bigger problems on his mind. "What would you do to him if I was to refuse?" All hope was slashed in half and burned in the infernos of the devil's home. 'They'd have quite a bit of fun trying out weapons,' Geoff silently answered.

"We, on behalf of the lord God," he began, "would take it from his flesh, so that he may understand that gambling is a sin." The mere touch of that cane on his shoulder was enough to tell him of the torture in store for him.

Here was a chance to go with his last resort. Nobody ever has too much pride to beg for a rescue. Or do they? He didn't much care at this point. "Oh come on," Geoff said pleading, "Please, Will—" he realized his mistake before he finished saying it, "Please will you help me, Sir Ulrich? I promise you won't regret it." At that moment Geoff saw pity in his eyes. 'Pity,' he thought, 'that's a good thing. There is hope yet.'

But again, he was wrong. "I don't have the money," Will said, yet again slashing all hope in half and burning it. That hurt so much more than just being refused once. Now there really was no chance. "Release him," wait, what was Will doing? "And for God's sake give him back his clothes and you'll get it." Bless you William! God was having a good day when he created you.

"Done," said the "pardoner."

There was a new ideal that came to Geoff's mind as he got his clothes back on—beside the comfort of cloth, that is. He now felt more duty to Will—Sir Ulrich, I mean.

Some time after this. Geoff is able to get a word with Will alone.

"So what do you want, Chaucer?" Will asked, rather nochalantly.

"You, sir, are the most noble knight I have ever laid eyes upon," he said, "and believe me, if I ever get a chance to pay you back, I will think of you above all else."

"Except the dice, right?"

Geoff frowned, it's things like that that hurt self-esteem. "Hey, I can change," he said, "Hell, if you can become a knight, I can get rid of a gambling problem, no big deal." He shrugged and looked up at the sky. "Right now, I feel like if I could change the stars, I'd move 'em if it'd pay you back."

"Is that because you're grateful?" Will asked, "or you just don't want to be in more debt?"

"Well, I have to admit, Wat is quite a bit worse than any 'pardoners' as they call themselves," Geoff said to himself. He then noticed Will walking off. "Hey, that's rude, you know."

"Yeah, well I'm gonna be late," Will said, "Now hurry up."


End file.
